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Tension Between Lethal Control And Coexistence Plays Out In Wolf-reintroduction Efforts

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Editor's note: This is the second installment of a two-part series on wolf reintroduction. To read part one, click here.

As the final steps fall into place before wolves are officially reintroduced to Colorado, policies governing both lethal take in response to livestock depredation and how to foster coexistence with the apex predator have been a flashpoint among livestock growers, conservationists and lawmakers. 

It's been a long, three-year haul from Colorado voter approval of gray wolf reintroduction to the creation of the Colorado Wolf Restoration and Management Plan (CWRMP) in May to locating a viable population in a Western state that is willing to donate the wolves. (Oregon announced in early October that it would donate 10 wolves, after other Western states with established populations declined to do so.) 

Many have remained anxious about having a lethal control option or "management flexibility" in place before Dec. 31, the date by which the state is legally required to reintroduce wolves. It wasn't until mid-September that the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) signaled that it would authorize a so-called 10(j) rule allowing for lethal control of wolves that have preyed on livestock. Barring a reversal, the rule is expected to be in place in time.

However, some conservationists are already saying the management plan and the 10(j) rule will set up the wolves to fail.  

The side of a rancher's barn near Crawford, Colorado. What is 10(j)?

Section 10(j) of the Endangered Species Act (ESA) applies to reintroduced, federally threatened or endangered species. Since an official population of gray wolves does not yet exist in Colorado, during CWRMP development, CPW requested that FWS designate the reintroduced gray wolves as a "'non-essential, experimental population," using the 10(j) rule. This would remove ESA protection, essentially downlisting gray wolves from endangered to threatened. 

The draft 10(j) rule, released Sept. 15, states that the FWS may designate a population of a listed species as experimental if it is released into suitable natural habitat outside the species' current range but inside the species' historic range. Non-essential means that the loss of that population would not decrease the ability of the species to survive in the wild.

The express purpose of the 10(j) rule is to allow for lethal control. It is illegal to kill an endangered species in all cases except proven self-defense. If the reintroduced gray wolves are downlisted to a threatened, non-essential, experimental status, the 10(j) rule would allow those wolves, identified by geographic location, to be "hazed, killed or relocated," but only if they kill domestic animals and only if there's proof.

The FWS is now in a "wait period" before issuing the final record of decision on the 10(j) rule. 

Delia Malone, ecologist and chair of the Wildlife Committee of the Sierra Club's Rocky Mountain Chapter, was hopeful that the state's wolf reintroduction management plan would have required non-lethal coexistence measures, but those were not included in the final draft. Credit: Amy Hadden Marsh/Aspen Journalism No mandate for coexistence

MIchael Robinson, senior conservation advocate for the Center for Biological Diversity (CBD), told Aspen Journalism that the draft 10(j) rule has left out three key components. First, he said, the rule fully authorizes killing wolves that kill livestock with no restriction on the number of wolves to be killed, even on public lands. "The [CWRMP] and [draft 10(j) rule] have no limits on killing wolves on public lands," he said. "What that means is the same level of negligence that is permitted throughout the state also applies to public lands. If wolves kill livestock on public lands, wolves will get killed also."

Secondly, he said, "Ranchers do not have to take preventative measures." Neither the CWRMP nor the draft 10(j) rule requires non-lethal control or coexistence methods, such as range riders, lights, noise or fladry (the use of flags on a fence to scare off predators), prior to killing a wolf that may be threatening or killing livestock. "Right now, it's voluntary," said Robinson. 

Delia Malone, ecologist and chair of the Wildlife Committee of the Sierra Club's Rocky Mountain Chapter, told Aspen Journalism that the final CWRMP took out parts of the draft plan that conservation groups agreed with. "A key thing that the [draft] plan suggested was that coexistence methods be required, and that was not included" in the final plan, she said.

The final plan states that "conflict management techniques are not required to be eligible for compensation; however, CPW will work with livestock producers to implement such techniques to reduce the risk of further depredation." 

Robinson's third concern is that the effort in Colorado makes no room for the reintroduction of Mexican wolves. He said scientists recommend, for good reason, that the endangered Mexican gray wolf be recovered alongside the northern gray wolf in the southern Rockies. "The Mexican gray wolf has limited genetic diversity," he said. "A large enough population to regrow genetic diversity could occur from being connected to northern gray wolves, which is what it was like before wolves were exterminated."

Robinson added that the reintroduction of wolves in Colorado is being set up for failure as result of the combination of no requirements for preventive, non-lethal measures and generous payment for livestock loss. "It's a perverse incentive to facilitate wolves killing livestock and for more wolves to be killed," he said. "The livestock industry, having failed with a big-money campaign to defeat [2020's Proposition 114], has worked to subvert it through a wolf plan that includes the absence of a requirement for preventative measures."

Colorado drivers, beginning on Jan. 1, will be able to purchase a "Born to be Wild" specialty license plate. Proceeds will benefit programs to foster coexistence with wolves. Funding for depredation reimbursement will be automatically appropriated annually from the state' general fund. Credit: Courtesy image Depredation funding mandated while coexistence support is a choice

The activity of Colorado state lawmakers during the 74th General Assembly, as evidenced by two funding bills, suggests that lethal control and livestock compensation are seen as higher priorities than coexistence strategies.

The CWRMP plan states that livestock producers can receive fair-market value up to $15,000 per animal that is a confirmed wolf kill, plus up to $15,000 for veterinary costs. Compensation covers cattle, sheep, horses, mules, swine, goats, llamas, alpacas and guard animals, such as burros and dogs. State lawmakers voted to fund compensation via Senate Bill 23-255, which establishes a special Wolf Depredation Compensation Fund (WDCF). The bill, which passed unanimously in both chambers and was signed into law in May, appropriates hundreds of thousands of dollars from the state general fund for livestock compensation for the foreseeable future.

For the fiscal year ending June 2024, $175,000 will go to the WDCF. For every fiscal year thereafter, $350,000 will be transferred to the WDCF for livestock loss compensation. The largest sources of general fund revenue are income and sales taxes. State Sen. Dylan Roberts (D-District 8), co-sponsor of the bill, told the Steamboat Pilot & Today that "by creating this in statute, we are dedicating funds that will always be available for compensation, regardless of what happens with the state budget or DNR programming."

On the other hand, House Bill 23-1265, also known as the "Born to Be Wild" bill, which governs money for non-lethal control, puts the onus on vehicle owners who like wolves. A specially designed license plate will be available starting Jan. 1, 2024, for $100. A one-time fee of $25 goes to the Highway Users Tax Fund (HUTF), and another $25 goes to the Colorado DRIVES fund. The remaining $50 goes into CPW's Wildlife Cash Fund for non-lethal control. Whoever buys the plate agrees to pay $50 annually to keep it. "This bill is an opportunity for everyone who supported [Proposition 114] to support non-lethal measures for our farmers and ranchers," state Rep. Elizabeth Velasco (D-District 57), primary sponsor of the bill, told Aspen Journalism in an email. Velasco estimates that the fees could bring in up to $1 million for non-lethal mitigation. 

For fiscal year 2023-24, the bill authorizes a $548,000 appropriation to the Department of Natural Resources for use by CPW. That amount corresponds with the estimate that state finance officials believe the license plate sales will bring in before the end of the fiscal year in June. It also sets the ceiling for how much the state can spend on non-lethal control. "The appropriation of $548,000 is the limit of our authority to spend for the stated purposes," said Travis Duncan, CPW public information supervisor. "If less revenue is received, we will spend less than that total. If more is received, we will need to ask the legislature for authority to expend more."

According to the Colorado Legislative Council Staff's April 5 revised fiscal note for the "Born to Be Wild" bill, expected demand for the plate is based on 60% of the actual demand for the "wildlife sporting" license plate in its first three years, when a total of 22,810 such plates were purchased. "As such, the fiscal note assumes that the 'Born to Be Wild' plate will be issued on the following schedule: 10,960 in the first year, 2,740 the next year and at least 200 plates per year thereafter." But, unlike SB 23-255, the amount is not guaranteed.

Duncan told Aspen Journalism that the agency will work closely with the state to determine license plate revenue. "These funds will go into CPW's Wildlife Cash Fund (WCF) and be used to implement gray wolf reintroduction and management," he said in an email. "But not for lethal control." The bill also states that revenue from the wolf license plate can be used for non-lethal mitigation programs, training, personnel, contractors, community outreach, equipment, research and bill promotion. 

State Sen. Perry Will (R-District 5) co-sponsored the bill despite a general dislike for license-plate legislation. "It's a good bill," he told Aspen Journalism. Will noted that the legislature considered a license plate bill for livestock compensation but decided against it.  "It wouldn't bring in enough money," he said.

Part 1 of our wolf-reintroduction coverage looked at perceptions among various communities on the eve of the wolf's return. You can read it here.

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New NBC Show 'Dr. Wolf' Is Based On A Real-Life Neurologist

The allure of the medical drama never gets old, and there's no shortage of them on TV right now, from the juggernaut that is Grey's Anatomy to newer hits like The Good Doctor, The Resident and New Amsterdam. But there are a couple of things that make the upcoming NBC series Dr. Wolf very different from your standard network hospital procedural. For one thing, the title character is a neurologist, meaning that the show will focus specifically on stories about brain diseases and damage, neuro-atypical individuals and potentially mental illness. And for another, the series is inspired by the story of a real-life pioneering doctor who helped to shape society's understanding of the human brain.

Now that NBC has officially ordered Dr. Wolf to series, here's everything we know so far about the show, including who is in the cast and when it might be released.

Related: When Will 'Grey's Anatomy' Be Back for Season 20?

What is Dr. Wolf about?

Dr. Wolf follows the story of a larger-than-life neurologist, Oliver Wolf (played by Zachary Quinto), who heads up a team of ambitious young interns at a teaching hospital. Per the show's logline, it will follow Wolf and his team as they "explore the last great frontier—the human mind—while also grappling with their own relationships and mental health."

The series showrunner is Michael Grassi, whose writing and producing credits include Riverdale, Katy Keene and Supergirl. The Riverdale connections are strong overall—the pilot episode of Dr. Wolf is directed by Lee Toland Krieger, who was one of the key writers on the long-running CW drama, and the shows also share an executive producer in Greg Berlanti. The series was ordered to pilot in January of 2023, and was given a series order in the fall.

Is Dr. Wolf based on a true story?

The series is inspired by the life and groundbreaking work of Oliver Sacks, the renowned British neurologist who wrote a number of books about his most unusual and perplexing cases, and about his experiences as a physician. A New York Times obituary published after Sacks's death in 2015 noted that he "used his patients' disorders as starting points for eloquent meditations on consciousness and the human condition" and that "in his emphasis on case histories, Dr. Sacks modeled himself after a questing breed of 19th-century physicians, who well understood how little they and their peers knew about the workings of the human animal and who saw medical science as a vast, largely uncharted wilderness to be tamed."

Dr. Wolf is specifically inspired by two of Sacks's books. The first is The Man Who Mistook His Wife For A Hat (1985), which chronicles a number of Sacks's most compelling and unusual case studies, and takes its title from the story of a man with visual agnosia, an inability to recognize or differentiate objects and faces. The second is An Anthropologist on Mars (1995), another collection of case histories which focuses on neurodivergent patients with conditions such as autism. One of the patients he describes here is Temple Grandin, the animal behaviorist who's since become a prominent speaker and autism advocate in her own right, and was played by Claire Danes in a 2010 HBO film.

>>> Sign up for Parade's Daily newsletter and get the scoop on the latest TV news and celebrity interviews delivered right to your inbox <<<

Who is in the Dr. Wolf cast? Zachary Quinto

Quinto plays the title role of Oliver Wolf, who is based closely on Sacks. Quinto's breakout role on TV came in the mid-aughts when he played the villainous Sylar in NBC's Heroes, and a few years later he found wider success when he was cast as Spock in J.J. Abrams' rebooted Star Trek series.

Related: How to Watch the 'Star Trek' Shows in Chronological Order

Ashleigh LaThrop

LaThrop is perhaps best known to prestige TV fans for her small but extremely memorable role in Season 3 of The Handmaid's Tale, in which she played Natalie, a fragile handmaid whose entanglement with June (Elisabeth Moss) ended in tragedy. She's also appeared in Netflix's The Kominsky Method, Amazon Prime's Utopia and the final installment in the Fifty Shades of Grey movie series.

Tamberla Perry

Perry's past credits include a recurring role in The Good Fight, where she played Judge Charlotte Hazelwood, All American: Homecoming and Ethan Hawke's historical drama The Good Lord Bird.

Alexander MacNicoll

MacNicoll played Luke Holbrook in all 10 episodes of Netflix's dystopian teen drama The Society, and had a longtime recurring role in Amazon's acclaimed Transparent.

Spence Moore II

Moore played a recurring role on The CW's teen football drama All American, and also recurred in multiple seasons of the NBC sitcom A.P. Bio. More recently, he appeared in We Are Who We Are, the HBO coming-of-age series from Call Me By Your Name director Luca Guadagnino.

What is the Dr. Wolf release date?

As of now, there is no release date for Dr. Wolf. Given the ongoing SAG actors' strike, it's unclear when most productions in Hollywood will resume filming, and only the pilot episode of Dr. Wolf has been filmed so far.

How many episodes are in Dr. Wolf?

The episode count for Dr. Wolf hasn't been confirmed, but based on other recent NBC series orders, the season is likely to be 13 episodes long.

How to watch Dr. Wolf

Dr. Wolf will air weekly on NBC, and is also likely to be made available simultaneously on Peacock, the network's streaming platform.

Is there a trailer for Dr. Wolf?

Not just yet, but watch this space!

Next, 8 Shows to Watch If You like 'The Good Doctor'

Nine Wild Mexican Gray Wolves Have Died In Recent Months

KNAU News Talk - Arizona Public RadioBy KNAU STAFF

Published October 23, 2023 at 3:34 PM MST

Arizona wildlife officials say nine endangered Mexican gray wolves were reported dead in the third quarter of this year.

According to the Arizona Game and Fish Department, two of the animals are suspected of having been illegally killed.

In all, 21 wild Mexican wolves have died this year compared to a dozen in 2022 and 25 the previous year.

At last count, there were at least 242 of the animals in nearly 60 packs living in the wild, which represented a 23% increase in their Southwestern population.

Mexican wolves are the rarest subspecies of gray wolf in North America and were nearly eliminated from the wild by the 1970s.

A federal reintroduction program in Arizona and New Mexico began 25 years ago.

In the years since, illegal killings and a lack of genetic diversity within the population has hampered recovery of the species.

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